Through Green Eyes Darkly
by Snow'sLuckyCat
Summary: Just what is that pensive feline thinking about now? Mild spoilers for Duckday Afternoon.


Title: Through Green Eyes Darkly  
  
Author: Sharma S. (Snow'sLuckyCat)  
  
Disclaimer: I know the drill...Carl the cat (AKA Panther) belongs to his handler and to himself. Meanwhile, Fox Fam Studios, along with the likes of Bob Brush, 3 Character Productions, and -yes- CBS too, own the rights to Early Edition. Of course, without Panther, the cat, there would be no EE, so I THINK the CAT should own the rights to the show. Not only that, but the actors are what made EE great!!! Kyle, Shanesia, and Fisher, and Ron, and Constance, and Milo too, we all love ya!!! : )   
  
TO ALL TV EXECS: DO NOT SUE CUZ I CAN'T AFFORD IT AND YOU'LL ONLY GET MY YELLOW TABBY CAT AND MY COMPUTER ANYWAY.... : )  
  
I'm not making any money off this either ok? ok.  
  
Spoilers: Duckday Afternoon (not really major though)  
  
Category: GENERAL---This means I'm in limbo ok? It's kind of a mix of Drama & Humor, but not really either... ; )  
  
Rating: PG--Sorry folks-nothing objectionable in here, unless you count a talking cat objectionable. Didn't think so. LOL  
  
Summary: Another little rip of mine, this time into the mind of a certain CAT, as he watches Gary and his parents leave for some 'nokie'-at the end of "Duckday Afternoon".  
----  
through green eyes darkly  
-Sharma Stancil  
----  
  
I look up at my master, 34-year-old Gary Hobson, and I catch his eyes, like they're twin mice, slow and lethargic. He looks back at me with his eyes of mud puddle green--not unlike my own--and sighs. Not really an annoyed sigh, just a really exhausted, sad one.   
  
Come to think of it, he seems about to collapse from drepression. I can see it in his eyes...  
  
Abruptly, he pushes The Paper away and leans heavily on the kitchen corner's counter, surprisingly addressing me. "You hungry?" he says.   
  
I nod soundly, meowing an affirmative. But, as always I'm wary of what he might place before me too eat next. I mean, let's face it...The guy's idea of cat food is way off. Just last week, he passed off a pizza, WITH PINEAPPLE, as 'the breakfast of champions.' But this time he seems to remember my partiality of nilla wafers, for he grabs the box of them and starts to retreive a few. I prepare myself for the sweetness by licking my chops...  
  
That's when our daily ritual is disrupted. RATS! Then, I realize who it is. It's Lois and Bernie, Gary's parental units. Ahhh, the last time I saw them-together that is-was almost two years ago, back when their son had gotten himself stuck in a condemned theatre. Quite frankly, I would've let the monkey get what was coming to him. You see, I hate monkeys. They are just so annoying...   
  
Oh well. Another conversation missed. My old mind is turning feeble on me, I know it. The trio is hugging however, so unless I'm wrong, which never is the case, (I come with tomorrow's paper today after all !) all is forgiven and is well again...  
  
It seems however, through this interruption, I am all but forgotten. The box of sweets is put back atop the refrigerator, far away from my grumbling belly. I grimace at this, but I should have known it would happen. Anyway, it's only a momentary set back.  
  
Silently, I watch as the family before me shares a group hug and debates on when they will part ways.  
  
Two days more. I look away, hissing noiselessly to myself.  
  
Oh God. Noooo... Well, it's really not that I don't like his parents, 'cuz I do, but they can be, shall we say, grating sometimes. And so, it won't be a total surprise when I tell you that I really do feel for Gary duing this whole episode. I mean, if I had a parent watching me like a hawk, I'd go nuts too. Wouldn't you???  
  
***  
  
I look up to find...  
  
My master following the two elder Hobsons from our loft. Really it's my master's apartment, but I live here too, ya know, even if only half the time. After all, who was the one who found this place for him? Me, that's who...  
  
Anyway, I sit here on the windowsill, having jumped from the floor as soon as the three had started downstairs to the ledge with that ancient, wayward-looking bowling pin.   
  
Mere momnents later, I stare down at the trio, as they have just appeared from McGinty's below me. This pictureseque scene of closeness makes me remember of another time, long ago...  
  
Wait. Now I know what you're thinkin'. You're probably telling yourself that cats can't think or reason, let alone talk. Right???  
  
But my master thinks I can--And he's right. Although there are times, I think I'm more his master than he is mine, what with coming, The Paper in proverbial tow, and all.   
  
Why did I capitalize paper???  
  
That's a simple enough question to answer, I guess.   
  
You see, I bring tomorow's news--today. That means my Gary Hobson, and Lucius Snow before him, have both been able to change things for the better of Chicago, saving lives and restoring faith in miracles.   
  
THEN AGAIN--both seemed to be down on their luck supremely when I first started coming to their doorsteps.   
  
And so it has been for nearly a century. First, I was an angel's helper up in heaven...Then came the day of my transfer to Future Newspaper Patrol. At first, I thought it was really cool of them to suggest me. That was, however, BEFORE I found out that I would come down to Earth as an animal, as a certain orange-yellow tabby cat many have grown to love and hate at the same time...  
  
*  
  
I remember Snow like it was just yesterday that I first met and knew him. Lucius and I were living here in the late 1940s, right after our place at the Blackstone burned down. So, we'd moved to this old fire station, and turned it into a home. It had just been vacated by the fire department, for advancement reasons. And they gave the deed to us. Take it off our hands, the fire chief had said. And indeed we did...  
  
Of course, about 10 years later, we moved right out and back into the Hotel, just after it got renovated. It wasn't exactly legit either...   
  
My master had gotten drunk one night, played a game of bid wist with a guy, Joe McGinty, and lost the place to him.  
  
One thing I can tell you about Lucius though is that he always honors his debts and his promises.  
  
So, thus we moved--back into our old room and the cycle began again.   
  
THAT IS UNTIL THE DATE NOVEMBER 10th, 1996.  
  
Lucius knew that he would die that day. Most don't know when they will, but Snow wasn't most people.   
  
He died in his sleep, peacefully, not violently. I mean, the guy was old, older than I thought any human could get. He'd never married, so he really didn't have anyone to look after, nor vice-versa. But, before he died, he gave me a gift, a gift I will cherish until the end.   
  
He thanked me. No one's ever done that for me before, you see...   
  
And NOW...  
  
Seeing Gary Hobson and his parents reconcile, smiling and laughing, was the best gift any cat could ask for. After all, I do care about the well-being of my keeper....MOST of fthe time, that is.   
  
Oh, and I did get the wafers by the way. Knocked the whole box over I did...Another advantage of being a cat, I suppose.   
***  
;c) --THE END--  
  
Have you ever noticed that Kyle Chandler's (G.H.) eyes are the same shade of green as Panther the Cat's (The Cat)??? That's sorta what inspired this fic.....Good, Bad, Queer??? You decide....And let me know too, ya hear! ; ) 


End file.
